Coppe'
Peppermint
(Mango And Sweet Rice)
For a debut album, Peppermint is speckled with some pretty big names in electronic music. As mentioned in the review of her newest album Papa My Buddha, Coppe' is an artist whose main contribution is vocals (of literally all kinds) and atmospherics to the production work of different artists that she teams up with on each release. Over the course of 16 tracks and more than 75 minutes of music, everyone from Plaid to DJ Swamp and Vadim drop in, giving the release another widely varied feel.
While this release is similar in general style to Papa My Buddha, it's also one that definitely feels more hesitant. Although there are definitely some good things going on with the release, it's easy to hear the progression in terms of Coppe's style as a singer/collaborater (her middle release of Mercury is the logical step between the two) in becoming a more integral part of the sound.
Peppermint actually starts out with two tracks produced by the Plaid boys, and while "My Hard Boiled Egg Heart" opens the disc in an overlong, plodding way, "Jan + Jeff + Jungle Curry" jumpstarts things in a big way with a gradually building chorus of breakbeats and much more inventive music from the duo (as well as much more electric vocals from Coppe'). If you wanted a sequel to their awesome "Scoobs," this is it. "Jelly Omelette" keeps things rolling nicely with some sung vocals over a skittery lounge track that gets put through the blender. "Vad" mixes some laid-back beats by Vadim with sexy, breathy vocals, and the "Orange City Mix" turns the same track into a deep-dish rumbler that works well in completely different ways.
Unfortunately, some of the disc sags a bit under its own weight. "Sea Anemone" starts out with a frenetic beginning, but lolls back into on-and-on repetition, while "Urticaria" sputters along with chirpy electronics but never really goes anywhere. With that in mind, DJ Swamp gives a welcome kick-in-the-pants with the speed-garage injected "240." As mentioned above, it's a heaping helping of music, and while there are definitely parts where things meander a bit, there's still plenty of fun to be had. Kitschy and hyperactive, Coppe' creates music for everyone from hello-kitty post-ravers to those just looking for some musical fun.
Rating: 6.75
